We are pleased to announce our most recent collaboration with the Newton Public Schools (NPS) School Sustainability Working Group to rollout a new waste diversion effort in all NPS kitchens. The goal of this effort is to divert more material from the kitchen trash to more sustainably manage waste.
NPS has 21 kitchens where contracted food service staff prepare food to serve to Newton’s 12,000 students. We began our efforts by visiting with kitchen and custodial staff at each school to review what should go in the kitchen recycling bins. These recyclables from the school kitchens are similar to those that should go in your household recycling bins. We also delivered bins and signs to improve collection efficiency.
In addition to maximizing recycling efforts, we trained staff on collecting food scraps (leftover food, expired items, and inedible food parts) separately from the trash. The collected food scraps are then sent to an anaerobic digester. Anaerobic digestion captures naturally occurring methane gas and uses it as fuel, instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. As a result of keeping food scraps out of the trash, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This work to more sustainably manage waste and protect our environment relies on many school staff and custodians and we greatly appreciate their partnership.
Want to learn more about how to reduce the amount of waste in your home or place of business? At our Newton Sustainable Materials Management website, you can get details about what to recycle and where and what to do with food scraps.
Questions about NPS Sustainability efforts? Contact Stephanie Gilman at gilmans@newton.k12.ma.us.
The above post was originally published in the March 19, 2026 edition of the Newton Sustainable Materials Management newsletter Green Cart Chronicle.